Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins Throws a Ball and Hosts One
Jose Fernandez is making a pitch this weekend in the fight against pediatric cancer.
The Marlins’ starter was scheduled to attend the third annual Bella’s Ball in Miami on Saturday, a fundraising event for the Live Like Bella Childhood Cancer Foundation he has supported throughout his professional career.
The charity and event memorializes Bella Rodriguez-Torres, who was only 10 when cancer took her life. The foundation’s name is derived from a Facebook post from Bella’s mom, Shannah, that went viral during Bella’s treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas in which she exhorted people to “live like Bella” and appreciate each moment.
The foundation’s mission is to fund innovative pediatric cancer research, provide support for families with children in treatment and assist families who have lost a child to cancer with funeral or headstone expenses.
Fernandez, now an honorary board member for Live Like Bella, made a $20,000 donation to the foundation with a grant he won from the Players Trust for winning a Players Choice Award as the 2013 National League Outstanding Rookie. The grant was used to fund a research trial for Rhabdomyosarcoma at Oregon Health & Science University.
The event on Saturday, during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, will be held at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami and will consist of cocktails, dinner, live entertainment and a silent auction. Fernandez, a two-time All-Star, will be among the “Bella Believers” on hand to inspire others to “live like Bella.”
To learn more about the third annual Bella’s Ball, visit the Live Like Bella website here.
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Major Leaguers are #GoingToBat for causes near and dear to them, as they personify the Players Trust’s motto to ‘care, act and inspire.’ To learn more about the charitable interests and activities of Jose Fernandez and other Major Leaguers, please click here.
